Had an opportunity to try the Stellia thanks to Todd. Recently, I also had an opportunity to try the Elegia, though I did not have the Elegia for more than a week and it was at least a month prior. That said, I do feel I am able to do a bit of a compare by memory. I also compared the Stellia to the Final Audio Sonorous X, so I'll offer a few words on that comparison too. Also, I did not do direct compare to the Utopia but I will offer a few words on that too. But let me get started by describing the Stellia.
From the very start, the headphone oozes luxury. Even my non-audiophile friends commented on how it felt to look at and hold. I'm not necessarily a fan of the color scheme but there is no denying how 'buttoned up' and luxurious this headphone feels. Quality and fit and finish rivals or exceeds the Utopia.
Overall sound - The Stellia is a fairly neutral sounding headphone. It has great clarity, is pretty balanced sounding and is very pleasing to my ears. I was one of the first on the loaner tour and I know Todd did burn them in, but I did get a feeling that with more time they may have room for more improvement, not that they need it.
Bass - If there was one deficit, I would say it was the bass. The bass was not bad, it was actually quite good. But, compared to other flagships, I felt it lacked a little extension and the upper midbass may have been a touch loose, but this was only slight and not typically noticeable. Certainly any missteps were infrequent and not egregious. Even by my demanding standards I thought the bass was very good and it certainly was tight enough. It was not slow or overly full and it did not interfere with the midrange. I did not necessarily feel visceral punch from the bass, but I thought it did provide a well tuned, solid foundation for the music and it certainly made for a reasonably dynamic sound.
Midrange - pretty much spot on. I wouldn't call it forward, but I would describe it as present and overall, neutral. I do not generally care for audiophile headphones that add warmth to lower midrange for a fuller sound, but I did feel that the Stellia was just shy of lower midrange. This was barely perceptible and took me awhile to reach that conclusion, but I felt it contributed to an ever so slightly less engaging experience. But certainly, I would not call the Stellia clinical or sterile... just not as engaging to me as some other headphones. This is more of a personal preference. It does nothing overtly wrong and I suspect others will find this headphone very musically engaging. I wouldn't necessarily describe the Stellia as a warm headphone, but it was not overly bright.
Ok - now is a good time to draw comparisons:
- The Utopia may be ever so slightly more dynamic, tighter, and punchy. The Utopia tends to be bright in the upper midrange. The Stellia was more balanced and may have sounded a bit more natural than the Utopia in that regard. Also, I know some people comment on a slightly 'metallic' sound to the Utopia. Sometimes I may perceive that, but I don't sense it to the point where it ever bothered me. Yet, I suspect that the Stellia, even though it uses beryllium,, may not suffer from that effect as much.
- The Elegia bothered me in the sense it lacked bass extension, had an unnaturally forward midrange, and lacked cohesion across the frequency spectrum. I was worried that the Stellia, being a closed headphone from Focal, would suffer from some of these same issues. I am happy to report that it does not suffer from these issues and it really sounds head and shoulders better than the Elegia. It also has better clarity than the Elegia.
- The Sonorous X, which I know most have not heard, has a VERY large sound and a VERY vibrant and intimate sound. It made the Stellia sound recessed, small, and thin. It was more dynamic than the Stellia too. One audiophile friend preferred it to the Stellia, the other preferred the Stellia slightly. The Stellia had greater clarity and was more balanced in the upper frequencies. The Sonorous X sounded rolled off and lacking in the upper mids by comparison. My Sonoous X is not fully broken in so not sure how the comparison will hold up in the long run. I think the Sonorous X is supposed to be bright and clear, but I haven't heard that. Anyway, I like the Sonorous X as a niche headphone, but I would not take it over the Stellia for a reference headphone. Incidentally, both are closed headphones and the Stellia is considerably lighter and more comfortable ...and most importantly, more neutral and balanced in its presentation - though considerably less technicolor.
Ok, back to Stellia...
Treble - The treble was good. I think I am less sensitive to treble than some others, but I found the treble to be well balanced and cohesive or in line with the other frequencies. I thought the treble was clear, though maybe not quite as resolving as some of the finest, I certainly did not feel it lacking resolution, and it was not dry. Did it have sparkle? Not sure. But overall, I liked the treble. My friend is sensitive to treble - both quality and quantity and i trust him because I know he can hear above 20Khz and he tends to quickly form an impression on treble that is consistent with others or takes me longer to reach the same conclusion. though I do not always. Anyway, He had no issues with the treble whatsoever.
Isolation - Being a closed headphone, isolation would be important to folks, but usually less so to me. I'll leave it for others to comment, but I noticed that when a TV was playing in the background it muted it considerably more than my open headphones and when my friends were playing the Stellia, I did not hear the music, even when sitting a few feet away. But the room was not quiet enough for me to say conclusively whether it is good or bad in this regard.
Soundstage / Imaging - Soundstage wasn't large, separation was ok and I suppose imaging was ok. But not impressive. And I have a closed McIntosh headphone that is both clearer, and has extremely good imaging and separation - though it lacks lower midrange a little more than the Stellia and is a little less full sounding (from memory). Incidentally, the McIntosh MHP1000 may have even better timbre and would give the Stellia a run for it's money - though I suspect I would prefer the Stellia overall for a slightly, fuller, more balanced sound.
Comfort - I found the Stellia to be pretty comfortable. I have an average sized head and average facial features and I had no issue with discomfort, though I'm pretty tolerant.
Would I buy a Stellia? I like to conclude my write-ups with this question because for all the words, it sums up whether I really liked the unit well enough to put down a pile of cash. The truth is, I feel the 3000 USD price tag is a bit steep for the Stellia. It is a great sounding headphone, and very impressive and competitive, even among headphones that are open - and that's no small feat. But at that price you are going against the best of the best. If you want a closed headphone, this is probably, overall, one of the best, if not the best I have heard. If you put open headphones into consideration, then there are headphones with better soundstaging, larger sound, fully extended (and still well balanced) bass. Because we all hear differently and have different tastes, my answer to the question may not be your answer. I like neutral, rich, full bodied sound, clarity, and good dynamics and punch. I also generally prefer
slightly forward and bright sound over recessed or an overly warm sound. Also, I listen to rock, metal, classical, jazz, and pop. So a well-rounded headphone that is good for all genres is important to me, and at times, I would like a closed headphone. So while I don't feel the need to run out and buy this tomorrow, I would most certainly be interested in purchasing these in the future. Focal sometimes has great sales during the holiday season. I have no idea whether the Stellia will go on sale, but perhaps I'll wait and see.
Todd of TTVJ does not ask for a plug in these reviews, but I want to thank him for lending his personal pair to us and encourage anyone interested in buying the Stellia to reach out to him. His prices are super competitive and he's a great guy to deal with.
